Plunging into the Winner’s Circle…In a Major Way

After the World’s #1 Yani Tseng passed 36-hole leader Stacy Lewis to lead by 2 strokes entering the final round of the Kraft Nabisco, the LPGA’s first major of 2011, it seemed all but academic for a Sunday stroll for the Tapaian Tseng. But as the winds picked up in Rancho Mirage, CA and the scores skyrocketed it was the former Arkansas Razorback Lewis, who stood up to the challenge.

Lewis’ impressive final round 69 in the face of the #1 player in the world, showed that there is more promise in the 26 year old then she has shown in her first two full seasons on the LPGA. Although she was able to score a few top 10 finishes in her first two seasons, she had not cashed in a title like she was predictably supposed to after her outstanding play in her first professional appearance at the 2008 U.S. Women’s Open at Interlachen. She lead after the opening round in that event only to fall short in a tie for 3rd, a distant five shots behind winner Inbee Park. That event seemed to pave the way for immediate success for the former razorback…but it just never came.

In 2009 she finished a mediocre 47th on the money list, mustering just under $300,000, with a T4 as her best finish. That season also included a T9 at the LPGA championship. She improved a bit in 2010 finishing 21st on the money list grossing over $550,000, while finishing second to Ai Miyazato in the Tres Marias Championship in Mexico. But she still only compiled four top ten finishes (none in majors) throughout all of the 2010 season. All of this makes this breakout performance in the first major of 2011 unexpected, but not surprising.

Lewis struggled at a young age with scoliosis, which caused her to wear a back brace through much of her young life. But after clearing up the issue, it gave her the determination to move forward and become one of the better players growing up in her age group. She complied a very impressive amateur record winning such accolades as SEC Freshman of the Year, SEC Player of the Year, National Champion (Individual), along with many tournament victories. She was also a member of the winning 2008 US Curtis Cup team where she became the first ever to go 5-0 in that event! Those finishes along with that strong finish in the 2008 U.S. Woman’s Open, were all reasons why many thought she was poised to be a threat on the LPGA.

This big first career win may open the floodgates for Lewis, who has already collected over $370,000 in earnings in 2011, putting her third in overall standings. Also, her seemingly head to head victory over the top rated player in a major, shows she can win anytime, anywhere, and under any set of circumstances. Lewis no doubt earned the victory plunge she and her family made into Poppy’s Pond off the 18th green at Mission Hills Country Club. Although not without collateral damage...as her mother fractured her leg after making the leap! I guess the least Stacy can do is pay the medical bills, right?

Big Life, Big Stage, Big Ten, Big Break…Big 2011?

As the off season is in full effect for most of the golf world, many of the non-established hopefuls were wide eyed and ready to earn their place at Q-School. I want to give Congratulations to former Big Breaker (Sandals Resorts & Dominican Republic) Sara ‘No H’ Brown for earning a spot on the LPGA Tour with a T20 at ladies Q-School. Sara was one of the more popular and personable girls on each of her seasons, and is highly respected as a fierce competitor on the golf course.

The former Michigan State standout finished 3rd on BB Sandals falling short to eventual winner and fellow Big Tener Ohio State’s Carling Coffing. On BB Dominican she was knocked off the show by the hotheaded Brian, miraculously saved by her team at the 11th hour and then exacted her revenge by defeating Brian in the finale. She still fell short of MVP status as that was clinched by the lovely Blair O’Neal.

Brown will join Kristy McPherson as ex-Big Breakers playing regularly on the LPGA in 2011. I’m sure Miss Brown hopes she can duplicate McPherson’s success on the Tour. Although she has yet to win a tournament, McPherson has numerous top ten finishes including three in majors in 2009. Her success has shown worldwide as she has risen to 32nd in the official Rolex World Rankings.

If Brown wants to move up the ladies Big Break success ladder she has a ways to go. Obviously McPherson’s success is the bar to reach toward, but others have made their mark recently. Sandals winner Carling Coffing is coming off of a top 25 finish at the 2010 LET Dubai Masters and has a cash at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational. Blair O’Neal will get her chance this season too with an exemption in the Kia Classic. But right now Sara Brown is in the best position to gain ground on McPherson with a successful 2011 season as a card-carrying member of the LPGA.

Blair O'Neal Wins MVP Honors on 'Big Break Dominican Republic'

Congrats to the lovely eye appealing Miss Blair O'Neal for taking home the most MVP points on the Golf Channels hit reality series 'The Big Break.' This most recent installment was held in the Dominican Republic and was a battle of the sexes between 12 former Big Breakers. In the end the ladies outlasted the guys to win the big prize. As team MVP O'Neal, a former Arizona State Sun Devil, earned the lion share of the cash take, an endorsement deal with Adams Golf, a Dicks Sporting Goods shopping spree and most importantly a spot in the 2011 LPGA Kia Classic! Congrats on an epic season Miss O'Neal and good luck at the Kia Classic.

Sad Story...Erica Blasburg

On a very sad side note…my condolences go out to the family, friends and all who knew LPGAer Erica Blasburg who was found dead in her Las Vegas home on Monday. This is an extremely sad story and took the golf wold by surprise. Thoughts and prayers from everyone in the Jimothy family are with all in mourning.

LPGA Pro of the Week - Week of 2/22/10

Known as one of the most famous women athletes in Japan, 24 year old Ai Miyazato’s ascent to the LPGA was much anticipated. Miyazato was an extraordinary junior player and was seen as the next big athlete in Japan, even as a teenager. She did not disappoint. She joined the Japanese Tour at age 18 and it did not take long for her to dominate. In her first three years on the JLPGA she gathered 12 wins and is still the youngest player to capture a JLPGA major championship at age 20. She now currently sits on 15 career JPAGA victories.

In 2005 she blew the competition away at the LPGA Q-School to gain her card here in the US on the LPGA. But it all wasn’t just hoorays, candy, and flowers; it was an uphill climb. She tasted small successes in her first 3 seasons, but was not able to cash in a victory. Her best money list finish in those first 3 years was 17th. But things changed in 2009. Miyazato got her first LPGA win in Europe at the Evian Masters, known as one of the biggest tournaments in the world. Her win there help capped her best LPGA season clinching her standing as 3rd in earnings.

Although Miyazato has yet to be victorious in an LPGA major, she has had some pretty good success in her career in the big ones. She has finished in the top 15 of each major at least once and has two T3 finishes (’06 LPGA Championship and ’09 Woman’s British). She is the torchbearer for Japan when it comes to bringing home a major in the LPGA, and I think her time is coming.

The forecast for 2010 is VERY good for Miyazato, considering she has already cashed in her 2nd career LPGA victory in the season opener in Thailand. She is looking to build off of her blistering final round that helped her sneak past tour vet Suzann Pettersen. Miyazato is also hoping she can do something in 2010 she has yet to do as a professional…win on US soil. She will no doubt get her opportunity, and by the way she played week one, she will be a force to be reckoned with as the season continues. This win was no flash in the pan; keep Miyazato on your radar all season long.

LPGA Pro of the Week - Week of 2/15/10

Everyone knows Michelle Wie right? Well if you don’t you really haven’t followed much about golf let alone Woman’s Golf. Widely known as one of the biggest disappointments in ladies golf history, Wie has finally turned the corner in her game and more importantly her life. Growing up in Hawaii poised to be the biggest star in the game in just her young teens; Wie was pressured with burdens no one her age should have faced.

For much of her early life she was always the best. At age 10 she qualified for the Woman’s Amateur Pub Links championship. Three years later at age 13 she became the youngest ever to qualify for the Kraft Nabisco and US Woman’s Open. In both circumstances she also made the cut. A year later in 2004 she was given a sponsor’s exemption to play on the men’s tour in the Sony Open in her home state of Hawaii. Although she missed the cut, Wie fired a 68 in one of the rounds, which to this day is the lowest score for a female in a PGA event.

But when she turned pro at age 15 in 2005, her career took a huge step back. At that time she was seen as the Tiger Woods of woman’s golf, with huge expectations. Her camp (parents, agent, etc) had a bigger plan in mind, wanting her to focus on playing in more men’s events. She participated in the John Deere Classic and 84 Lumber Classic on the PGA Tour later failing to make the cut and finishing near the bottom in both events. She also played in all of the big LPGA events, although she was not a member of tour because of the 18-year-old card requirements. Although she finished 3rd, 5th, and 3rd in three of the woman’s majors in 2006, all of these expectations seemed a little too much for Wie. She failed to win any time she teed up and fell into a downward spiral.

Rock bottom hit in 2007 where she performed miserably on the men’s Tour in the Sony Open again, but even worse she withdrew nearing the end of her round in the LPGA’s Ginn Tribute due to a wrist injury. Her withdraw came into question because she was on pace to shoot an 88, which if she carded, due to an LPGA rule would have banned her from tour for a year. More poor finishes in 2007 made it seem like Wie’s career would just be one of those unfulfilled potential stories. But after a small hiatus from golf Wie came back refreshed in 2008 and 2009.

In 2009 she finally jumped into the winner’s circle at World #1 Lornea Ochoa’s Invitation in Mexico. This marked her first career professional victory, and the start of a very promising season. Wie really did not have an overly successful major season in 2009, but had her most profitable season since become a pro. She made 17 of 19 cuts winning once and accumulating over $900,000 in earnings landing her at 14th on the money list. Wie was also a member of the winning 2009 US Solheim Cup Team where she was a dazzling 3-0-1.

Wie is gaining back that respect among the media and more importantly her peers. She seems to be more comfortable with her game, and more relaxed on where she is at in her career. Even more importantly she seems to be having fun playing the game, something that seemed to leave her in those down years. Now at age 20 those expectations are coming back slowly but surely. She is now ranked 10th in the World Rankings and is knocking on the door for that first major championship. I’m not sure if it will happen in 2010, but with all she has gone through, when she does get that big major win, it will be well deserved.

LPGA Pro of the Week - Week of 2/8/10

Okay fine, here’s the profile all you pervs in blogland were waiting for. Ranked 59th in the world American LPGAer Natalie Gulbis, for better or worse, is one of the most recognizable faces on the ladies Tour. Diagnosed with maybe just a slight case of Anna Kournikova syndrome, she is known primarily for being the hottest little treat on the LPGA Tour. But there is more than meets the eye when it comes to Natalie. She may have an odd putting stance and a dippy-hitch in her golf swing, but there’s no denying that she’s got game.

Natalie grew up in Sacramento, California where she played high school golf, but found a way to graduate at age 16 where she went off to college at the University of Arizona. She only spent one year in Tucson and decided to turn pro in 2001 at the age of 18. She made 27 starts in her first full season in 2002, and through the 2006 season she had been known for being the best player on Tour without a victory. But that changed in 2007 where she won on international soil at the Evian Masters, one of the biggest non-major tour stops.

To date this victory is still her only LPGA win, although she has had many close calls. Natalie has also found small success in major championships. She has recorded at least one top 10 in each of the four majors in her career, topped by a 3rd place finish in the 2006 Kraft Nabisco. But she is still waiting to win the big one. In 2009 she battled injury and had her least profitable season only making 12 starts and recording just over 220,000 in earnings, although she was a member of the winning Solheim Cup team.

Natalie’s image and beauty is one thing that has kept her place in golf and formed her place in pop-culture. She had her own reality show on the Golf Channel recording her day-to-day life at her Las Vegas home. Natalie has also made many other TV appearances on hit shows like CSI Miami and Celebrity Apprentice. The forecast for Gulbis’ Tour success in 2010 is very unclear. I think if she is healthy and ready to play she has the game to have a very profitable season. Unlike Kournikova, Natalie has the talent and more importantly, the want-to to cash in on another victory or even her first major.

LPGA Pro of the Week - Week of 2/1/10

Currently ranked 10th in the Rolex Rankings American LPGAer Angela Stanford has come into her own over the past couple of years. At 32 she has become a veteran on the Tour, but before 2008 she had compiled only one Tour victory, and that came all the way back in 2003 at the ShopRite Classic. Stanford turned pro in 2000 and like so many current ladies on the LPGA Tour was a member of the Future’s Tour. After one year there where she tasted victory, she hopped aboard the big girl’s Tour.

Stanford was a successful junior player growing up in Fort Worth, TX where she compiled a very impressive resume. She stayed at home to become an even more successful collegiate player at TCU where she was a 4 time All American, 1999 WAC player of the year, and 9 time tournament winner. As mentioned above her professional career has been a little more of a slower ascent.

Stanford has had small success in major championships amassing five top ten finishes in her career including a 5th place finish in the ’09 LPGA Championship. Her biggest major moment came in the ’03 US Women’s Open at Pumpkin Ridge where she finished 72 holes tied atop the leaderboard with Hilary Lunke and Kelly Robbins. In the playoff Robbins faded and on the 18th green Stanford sunk a 30ft putt from off the green to momentarily tie Lunke. But not to be outdone the unlikely Lunke drained a 15 footer to take the championship. To this day this was Stanford’s best shot at major glory.

In ’09 Stanford found the winner circle again in the SBS Open at Turtle Bay and also made her 3rd Solheim Cup team appearance. She was part of the winning US team where she won her Sunday’s single match. The forecast for 2010 seems to be a pretty bright one for Stanford. She’s looking to build upon her two most profitable years on Tour with a career year. I don’t know if she will win her coveted major championship in 2010, but I wouldn’t count her out.

LPGA Pro of the Week - Week of 1/25/2010

32 year old Floridian Cristie Kerr has been one of the few consistant American staples on the LPGA Tour. When she was 18 years old in 1996 she turned pro and like many women after her successfully jumped on and made a splash with a win on the Future’s Tour. After only one year there Kerr joined the LPGA Tour and now starts the 2010 season with 12 career LPGA Tour wins and as a four-time Solheim Cup member.

Kerrs’s first win came in 2002 and she has had one win in every season since 2004. She has also made over one million dollars each of the last six Tour season’s. In 2007 she realized a dream by winning her first, and to this day, only major championship in the US Open at Pine Needles in Southern Pines, NC. She has impressively finished 2nd at least once in every single major!

Kerr had a pretty solid 2009 season scoring her second highest paid season along with a victory in Williamsburg at the Michelob Open at Kingsmill. She was also a member of the winning Solheim Cup team. Although she was not able to take home a second major championship Kerr was still able to capture three top 10’s including a 3rd place effort at the US Open. In fact over the past three seasons Kerr has finished in the top ten in six of the 12 major championship events.

The forecast in 2010 for Kerr looks to be very strong as she seems to be settling into the prime of her career. I expect her to be in contention in every one of her starts, and should be one of the American favorites to take home another major. Her obvious intensity and focus on the golf course will undoubtedly make her a consistant force this season.

LPGA Pro of the Week - Week of 1/18/10

At age 21 Morgan Pressel has become a very familiar face among successful Americans on the LPGA. Although she is young, she is anything but inexperienced. A much accomplished junior competitor, Pressel splashed onto the scene in 2001 as the youngest player to qualify for the US Open at the age of 12! At the 2005 US Open at Cherry Hills, as a 17 year old ametuer, she made even more of an impact as a co-leader going ino the final round. But that afternoon she stood in the 18th fairway stunned to watch Birdie Kim chip in out of the bunker to dash her hopes of winning a major as an ametuer.

After that season she turned pro at age 17 and only two years later realized her major dream by taking the plunge into the winner’s circle at the 2007 Kraft Nabisco. This title dubbed her as the youngest player to win a major at just under 19 years of age. Since then she has only one other tournament win (2008 Kapalua), but has a bundle of top 10 finishes.

With her petite frame, Pressel is widely known as one of the shorter hitters on Tour, but more than makes up for it with her pinpoint accuracy and excellent short game. She was a very impactful contributor on the 2009 US Solheim Cup team going 2-0-1 in her three matches. Like most people, I expect a better season performance wise out of Pressel in 2010 than a season ago. She has too much talent not to rack up at least one win, and don’t be surprised if a US Open championship is in her future because of her high fairways and greens percentage.

LPGA Pro of the Week - Week of 1/11/10

Currently ranked 7th in the World Paula Creamer has become one of the most notable American woman’s golfers and holds the torch as highest rated US player in the LPGA. Although it seems like Creamer has been on tour forever, she is only 23 years old. She burst onto the LPGA scene in 2005 as a much accomplished ameteur and 11 AJGA championships tied to her. In her first season she became the second youngest player to win an event when she won just outside of NYC at the Sybase Classic. She followed that up later that year with a big win at the Evian Masters, a pretigious tournament in Europe.

In her five years on tour she has jumped into the winner circle eight times, and has risen in popularity amongst fans of woman’s golf. But she, like Sergio Garcia on the men’s tour, holds the unforunate burdon of being known as the ‘best player on tour without a major.” In her case I think it’s a little unfair because the competition has grown emensely on the LPGA and she has only been on tour for five years.

But Creamer is known by another name too…“The Pink Panther.” She got this name for her fondness of wearing the color pink. She has also turned this into a Sunday Pink thing similar to Tiger Wood’s Sunday Red. She has taken it so far that she even uses a pink ball on Sunday. 2009 was not one of Creamer’s best seasons, as she did not win at all. But she was a crucial member of the winning US Solheim Cup team. I, among others, expect big things from Creamer in 2010. I think it will be the year she finally brings home a major title, and think she will even get into double digits in her LPGA win total.

LPGA Pro of the Week - Week of 1/4 2010

This week's LPGA pro of the week is 2009 McDonalds LPGA Champion Anna Nordqvist. Born and raised in Sweden, Anna was a highly decorated ametuer in Europe and the US until she turned pro for the 2009 LPGA season after finishing 25th at LPGA Q-School. Norqvist was 2007 Pac10 and National Freshman of the year while attending Arizona State, and she was also an All American in both 2007 and 2008.

Her rookie season on the LPGA tour was astoundingly successful. In her 5th start as a pro she won a major at Bulle Rock Golf Course in Havre De Grace, MD. Nordqvist's 15 under par was the lowest score out of the five years the LPGA Championship was decided at Bulle Rock. Five month's later Nordqvist capped her outstanding rookie season with a win in the inagural LPGA Tour Championship. She outlasted the top 120 players on the Tour to capture this title.

Nordqvist's season was also highlighted with a spot on the European Solheim Cup team, which was defeated by team USA. The outlook for the six foot tall Swede in 2010 looks to be very strong, and even though she's 22, her experience as a young ametuer should be a very big advantage. On top of that, her young age should make her a force on the LPGA for years and years to come. I think she has a bright 2010 and future, and should pocket a few more wins and majors along the way.

LPGA Pro of the Week - Week of 12/28

As we step into 2010 it is well documented that the LPGA has fallen on tough times so in order to boost a little moral amongst the ladies on tour, Jimothy will do a weekly profile on one of the tours finest.



Our first profile is 24 year old Floridian Brittany Lincicome. Brit is the defending Kraft Nabisco Champion (LPGA's first major) and 3 time winner on tour (see 2006 Match Play and 2007 Ginn Open). 2009 was Brittany's finest season as she enjoyed her first major along with a winning spot on the Solheim Cup. She was considered the bounce back player of the year as she was absolutely dreadful for her standards in 2008. She is known for her super long drives and lack of consistancy with the putter. She had the shot of the year in 09 sticking her second shot on the par 5 18th to within five feet and a tournament winning eagle. I look for big things from Brittany in 2010.